A Mini-Vacation

I've heard rumors that real adults get to take real vacations and still get paid. I guess I'm not a real adult, but I can still take a mini-vacation, damnit! That's exactly what Adam and I decided to do. Originally we had planned a Friday night - Monday morning trip to Michigan to visit for his niece's 1st birthday party, but the opportunity to extend this mini-vacation another two days presented itself and we TOOK IT... because we are KIND-OF-ADULTS!

Presented without comment

As with any normal mini-vacation that involves airplanes, I spent Friday meticulously detailing and mulling over various routes to the airport from work. Let me say that I have never once missed a flight or even been remotely close to being late, but I get worked up about it nonetheless. I had a holiday party to attend that afternoon, so I stressed over how late I could stay in order to still make it to the airport in time. I ended up leaving two rounds short of the end of the yankee swap, and I never did find out who got the gift I brought. It was worth it to get to the airport two hours before my flight, mostly just for my mental state, though. 

The trip to Michigan was great, not only to get away from Boston and work but for spending time with family, too. Last time we saw Riley she was still practicing "tummy time", this time she was able to walk, communicate much better, and scream at the top of her lungs for fun. Her birthday party was adorable and mostly for the adults (as any 1st birthday is). I think that kid has seen enough flashing cameras to last a lifetime.

Reporters at Press Conference: "So, how does it feel to be 1 year old?"

Our quick trip came to and end early Monday morning with a drive back to Detroit's airport. A fire alarm started blaring as we stood in line for security, and I was sure this would be the time I would miss a flight. In typical human fashion, no one did anything in response to the alarm. We all just stood around and assumed the building wasn't burning down. A woman got in line behind us and said, "um, excuse me? What is going on? What is that thing flashing?" Lady, have you never heard a fire alarm in your whole life? Do you not hear the recorded message telling you "this is a fire alarm"? I almost told her that the strobe light was an indication to rave. Just open your ears for two seconds, goodness gracious.

We did not miss our flight, and one plane, four trains, and one automobile later we landed in Killington, VT, for two days of skiing. As REI employees we got free access to Killington's Demo Day, where vendors come and lets people try out their skis for free. I was mostly just excited for my first day skiing since last season.

Me last season

I'm sorry, I just lied to you. That above photo is about as far from me skiing as you can get. Last season was my first time ever skiing, and we only got in a handful of days. Still, by the end of last season I was feeling confident on the greens. Turns out skiing was only slightly like "riding a bike". It came back to me, but slowly. Last season we always made the joke that I never fell (which is not true, I had one decent fall) because of my new waterproof pants, which I called my "anti-gravity" pants. I wore the same pants in hopes of conjuring their magical powers, but they kind of failed me. A lot. 

Thankfully I didn't have too many big wrecks, unlike Adam who literally bounced down the mountain on his first alpine run (he's been telemark skiing for a bit). I did fall, though, much more than last season. It's fine, I'm still new and my falls were more like intentional sit-downs, but it can be disheartening. I know what skiing should look like and I know what I want to do, but I don't have the skill to do it yet. I'm still working on those french fry turns. Also, if I have one second of distraction I basically go out of control and fall. It's a great method for success.

Adam on his tele skis 

The first day was foggy, but the second day was much worse. It got to the point where we couldn't see the signs at the intersections until we got within 10 feet of them. This did not bode well for my anxiety over sharing the trail. I start to get nervous if I sense another skier or snowboarder coming, so the very limited visibility just added to my anxieties. 

Non-view from the lift

We only got a half-day in on our second day because our friend Neil's binding snapped mid-run. Honestly, I was happy to only stay half the day. I was tired from the day before and fell much more than I would have liked. Despite a start to the season that involved me on my ass so much, I'm ready to get back out there again. I can't get better if I don't keep going, right? Right.